Panko Crusted Flounder with Dashi Air

Not only is dashi one of the most delicious things on earth,  it's necessary for many Japanese meals and cooking techniques.  Sure, you've heard of soy sauce, sake, and sushi-- but dashi, a kind of stock, is the real star of Japanese cuisine.  You like miso soup?  Well, that has a dashi base.  What about ramen (not the crap that comes in a bag)?  Dashi base.  Even the sweet egg sushi simply called tamago (egg in Japanese) has dashi mixed into it.

Dig into... Some Tonkatsu

Modern Japan isn't merely a country where East meets West.  The Land of the Rising Sun's story is more a case where East thought West was chou kawaii but after running through a couple different Western suitors (Portugal and Holland), East gave up on all foreigners and went totally asexual for a couple hundred years before that Chandler guy made them start airing Friends episodes in English... Yeah, that sounds right*.

Anyway, East finally settled on a handsome Western suitor who had the traits of a myriad of Western states, including Amurrica and Germany, to make 126 million homogenous children.  Here's where I tell you how this all relates to tonkatsu.

Two Techniques in One: Homemade Croutons and Breadcrumbs

There are three major benefits of making your own croutons and breadcrumbs at home:

1. You now have a use for stale or leftover bread.

2. Your croutons and breadcrumbs will be crunchier, healthier, and more flavorful than the store-bought variety.

3. Endless flavor combinations will keep you and your diners interested and satisfied.